Sunday, June 10, 2012

Review: Canterlot Defender

After the Season 2 finale, it's hard to imagine anyone who hasn't dreamed of defending Canterlot against an incoming swarm of Changelings, preferably using this technique, pioneered by Twilight Sparkle. Well, thanks to Futzi01 on Deviantart, you can do just that. This point and click style game is already on the Equestria Gaming Arcade, but I felt it deserved a proper review. You can read it after the break...

The gameplay here is simple enough. You aim and fire magic bursts with your mouse, shooting down changelings in the process. It is your duty to prevent any changelings from making their way to the side of the screen. You have 10 lives. The longer you live and the more changelings you blast, the higher your score.

There are two more elements to consider, however. The first is your magic bar. You mustn't let it drop down to zero, otherwise you'll experience a long cooldown period which is guaranteed to let at least a few changelings by. As long as you don't click too wildly, you should be fine.

They're no match for my Twilight Sparkle Gatling Gun!

Last but not least, by pressing the numbers 1-5, you can call upon the other elements of harmony to help clear the screen for you with unique animations. If you time it correctly, you should have at least 1 of your friends available at all times.

There exists an easter egg in Canterlot Defender, accessible via the Konami Code (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter). You have to enter this quickly to avoid losing too many lives, but from that point on, you can call upon Derpy in addition by pressing 6.

The atmosphere of this game is greatly enhanced by its music selection - Final Day Area by the wonderful Interrobang Pie. It's an upbeat 8-bit track inspired by This Day Aria, and I must say that it fits in perfectly with this game. All in all, simple as it is, Canterlot Defender is an enjoyable gaming experience.